a. Technical Field
The instant disclosure relates generally to an information processing system and more particularly to an image planner.
b. Background Art
This background description is set forth below for the purpose of providing context only. Therefore, any aspects of this background description, to the extent that it does not otherwise qualify as prior art, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the instant disclosure.
There are a number of methods commonly used to distribute software. One method of distributing software is through the use of so-called images. An image is the combination of an operating system and zero or more software packages which is distributed as a single unit. A software package is a collection of all files and configuration information needed to install an application on a computer system. A computer system can either be physical or virtual. Organizations and business entities that utilize hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of computer systems can benefit from an economy of scale by standardizing the software that is initially distributed on such systems. Operating systems are generally paired with a plurality of frequently used software packages (e.g., Microsoft Office, WinZip, Adobe Acrobat, etc.) and preloaded onto computer systems. A pairing of an operating system with a plurality of frequently used software packages is commonly referred to as an “image”. Different computer systems have different needs, but in order to take advantage of the economy of scale an organization or business entity can benefit by reducing the number of distinct images it distributes to a small manageable number in a way fulfills the needs of a large number of computer systems.
There is therefore a need for systems and methods to reduce the number of distinct images to be distributed, which can be used for image distribution planning.
The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate the present field and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.